In the wake of today’s cabinet shuffle, there is a growing sense that there’s been a shift from a focus on fisheries to more on oceans inside a key federal department. The decision to appoint a minister from the West coast could also pose a political risk for the prime minister.

North Vancouver MP Jonathan Wilkinson has been named Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, taking over from New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc, whose father Romeo also held the portfolio.

LeBlanc is now minister of intergovernmental, northern affairs and internal trade.

1/ I’m honoured to have been asked by the Prime Minister to serve as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. pic.twitter.com/RubTriZMj7

2/ I’m eager to continue building upon the great work accomplished by Minister @DLeBlancNB and look forward to ensuring Canada’s three oceans, coasts, waterways and fisheries are protected and remain healthy for generations to come.

Replacing a minister from Atlantic Canada, where fisheries is the most important economic portfolio, with an MP from the west has raised a few eyebrows on the East coast, particularly as fisheries parliamentary secretary TerryBeech is also from that end of the country, representing the riding of Burnaby North — Seymour.

British Columbia is “a long ways away,” said Keith Sullivan, the president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union, which represents 15,000 in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“There’s obviously concern. We’re cautiously optimistic that our new minister is going to dive right in and be serious about addressing some issues on the East Coast, particularly Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Given the opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline in B.C. and the increase in tanker traffic it will bring, priorities set out in the minister’s mandate letter make it appear likely the department will tilt heavier on the ocean side of the portfolio, and with issues affecting the B.C. coast in particular.

Sullivan said that while he certainly hopes that’s not the case, it’s hard not to think a shift is afoot.

“That’s definitely a concern, from a fish harvester point of view,” he said. “It’s been over 15 years since we’ve had a minister from the West coast. There are advantages to having someone from the east who understands our fishery.”

Lobster boats head out in Nova Scotia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

In British Columbia, the fishery is primarily run by commercial operators, while in the Atlantic provinces, the majority involved are independent.

“It’s a totally different model,” Sullivan said. “I don’t know how much this minister understands this fishery. It’s not obvious from his background that he would, so I think it’s important that he gets out meeting people as soon as possible.”

He said his group will have to lean more heavily on “several Liberal MPs in the province who haven’t been extremely engaged with fisheries issues” to ensure their issues “don’t get lost when dealing with a British Columbia minister.”

Appointing a minister from a particular region sends a message to people there that the government is thinking about them and they’re an important part of what’s to come, said Lori Turnbull, interim director of Dalhousie University’s school of public administration.

“From that perspective, how can Atlantic Canada not see it as a loss? It’s an incredibly important portfolio and (LeBlanc’s) a powerful minister. Now he’s been sent somewhere else and the guy that’s holding it is from British Columbia.

“Given that people see politics in zero sum terms, Atlantic Canada has not gained any ministers. (LeBlanc) now holds a file that is less based in the region and more horizontal.”

Before being elected in 2015, Wilkinson spent 20 years in the private sector, primarily at green technology companies. He’s been serving as parliamentary secretary to Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna and has been a strong defender of the government’s decision to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline.

He recently told CBC News that the pipeline is “in the national interest” and won’t interfere with Canada’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Liberals gambling with Atlantic Canada’s support

With the 2019 federal election approaching, some say Wilkinson’s appointment is intended to shore up support in British Columbia, where the Liberals hold 17 seats, some of which could be in jeopardy given the opposition to the pipeline.

“That’s part of the calculation for sure,” said Turnbull.

“(The Liberals) are definitely looking at what they want to cover off and anticipating some pretty uncomfortable conversations with people in B.C. as they start making the rounds. This is an offset. And not just because (Wilkinson) is from Vancouver. It’s a substantive balancing tool, especially given his background as parliamentary secretary. He’s kind of staked himself out on this file already.”

The political reality is that Atlantic Canada has just 32 seats in the House of Commons.

“We have given them all 32. Are we likely to do that the next time? Probably not,” Turbull said. “They can’t do any better in Atlantic Canada, so they’re looking at growth potential in B.C.

“But they wouldn’t be the first government to take Atlantic Canada for granted and then find out we were paying attention. It’s a gamble and sometimes those 32 seats can be useful.”

Green Party Leader and B.C. MP Elizabeth May said while the Liberals will likely lose some seats in Atlantic Canada, right now “every seat in British Columbia is at risk.”

“The depth of anger over their breaking the electoral reform promise is something I don’t think a lot of people in the country recognize.”

In 2015, there were plenty of MPs who campaigned in the province on ending first-past-the-post elections, as well as standing against Kinder Morgan.

“A lot of them have to know how much trouble they’re in,” May said.

As for Wilkinson, as a parliamentary secretary, a lot of people like him and are impressed with his work, but she said he’s taking on “a hot potato of a file.”

‘A strange global space’

Turnbull said it’s not surprising a B.C. minister would be put in this role.

“Given global politics and how the world is shifting, how possible trade partnerships are increasingly strained with the U.S., it makes sense to take a Pacific lens for the fishery. From a pure policy and strategic perspective, I get it.”

And it comes in combination with other moving parts, including the inclusion of diversification in the international trade portfolio.

“We’re in pretty strange global space right now, so it makes sense the government is looking at how can organize things differently to be proactive and respond to those shifts,” Turnbull said.

“It was nice to have a fisheries minister who really wanted to be fisheries minister and be engaged and invested in the issues,” he said.

“I’ll miss his openness and humour. Working with him was easy. Even if we didn’t agree on every decision, you felt you got a hearing, treated with respect and with humour. That speaks to the man more than anything else.”

LeBlanc oversaw the department during a very busy time. After years of gutting under the Conservatives, the Liberals reinvested in science and scientists, and delivered on work around marine protected areas. Laughren said there’s also been increased transparency within the department by making public and updating annually the sustainability of fisheries survey, which lays out how stocks are doing.

“That wasn’t public before, so we were very glad to see that,” he said. “(LeBlanc) also led a pretty rapid and robust response to the utter tragedy of the right whales last summer. We’re all watching this summer and hoping it’s sufficient. But he deserves credit for acting quickly.”

“Dominic LeBlanc has done an excellent job of repairing damage done by Stephen Harper,” she said.

Laughren added there’s been more rejuvenation within the department under his watch than there’s been in some time.

“He’s started a lot and put it in motion. Now the job is for us and for the new minister is to see it through.”

Not all smooth sailing

LeBlanc did wade into controversy earlier this year when he expropriated a lucrative Arctic surf clam licence from a company in Newfoundland and Labrador, and awarded it to the Five Nations Clam Co. — a newly created partnership with no boats capable of handling the clam fishery. Five Nations is partnered with Premium Seafoods of Nova Scotia, run by Edgar Samson, the brother of Liberal MP Darrell Samson. Former Liberal MP Todd Russell is the president of NunatuKavut, which is also now a partner.

The Miawpukek First Nation has also filed a request in Federal Court for a judicial review of the decision.

While relations with LeBlanc started off strong, Sullivan said that’s one of the reasons they’d hit some rough water recently.

“It’s a decision that certainly didn’t make sense to anyone here in Newfoundland and Labrador,” he said.

At the Fisheries Council of Canada, President Paul Lansbergen gave credit to LeBlanc for a lot of important moves that have been made within DFO, including rebuilding science capacity, which although largely unseen by the public, is critical to resource management.

That’s not an issue that’s gone away, so he’s looking forward to working with Wilkinson on it.

“He’s a very smart man and he’s got business background, so I think that should be helpful to the commercial fisheries sector,” Lansbergen said. “He also cares about the environment and I think he’ll follow suit with wanting to make sure our fisheries resources are sustainable. That’s a good thing.”

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6 comments on “PM gambles new B.C. minister will keep Liberals from swimming with the fishes”

There’s only one hope for JT on the West Coast: get out of the public pipeline business and, if dilbit absolutely must be supertankered offshore, don’t ship it from Vancouver, deep in the busy inside waters of two nations.

I don’t want to suggest Prince Rupert—I’d be happy to give JT all the credit.

The youth are twisting facts and numbers on the Paris Agreement. It is the consumption of our exported oil that drives up the carbon figures and, exporters or not, we have no control of the consumption.

If we do not produce and market the product any number of other countries will do so! Our net effect by selling is zero!

Here are three points summarizing why we are calling on you to cancel the buyout of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline project:

1.Buying and building the Trans Mountain pipeline project violates your promise to protect British Columbia’s coast. No amount of technology can undo a spill in the Salish Sea, and a spill would crush the cultures and livelihoods that depend on the health of the Sea.

2.Buying and building the Trans Mountain pipeline project is setting up the Paris Agreement for failure. If Canada’s oil production continues along its planned trajectory, it would use up 16% of the world’s carbon budget to keep temperatures below 1.5 degrees, or 7% of the budget for 2 degrees. In order to avoid a climate catastrophe, it is the responsibility of Canada as a signatory to the Paris Agreement to strive towards “keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.” Buying the Trans Mountain pipeline project undermines the Paris Agreement and locks Canada into decades of reliance on fossil fuels.

Buying and building the Trans Mountain pipeline project is in violation of UNDRIP and the Liberal Party’s plan to renew nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous Peoples. Forcing this pipeline through the lands of First Nations that do no consent entrenches the violence of colonialism and moves us away from reconciliation.

From what I see on various media, several if not many of the native tribes are looking to buy shares in KM and TM. I don’t think the youth represent the ideals of the majority of the groups! It is truly youth caught up in ideals with no background to substantiate.

I sailed the MacKenzie River and the Arctic ocean for 15 or more years. I have seen oil, bunker, gasoline etc spilled into the River, followed it up to the Arctic coast and never seen one dead fish or mucked up bird of any kind. Then at a place called “Bar C” one of ESSO fuel tanks leaked into the small bay thence the river. Esso brought in “emulsifier” to assist with the cleanup. The emulsifier made the oil disappear and the shoreline was littered with thousands of dead fish!
I can understand the concern of all youth in this regard but what I just stated happened 40 years ago!
Ships and barges are oil certified. They have a double hull with two or three feet of space between the two hulls. Minimum criteria for safety would be overkill for the traffic seen. But, with the engineering and safety that is on marine vessels in this day and age is mind-boggling.

Canadians Receive A Wide Range of Benefits from the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, Including 15,000 Jobs and $46.7 Billion in Tax Revenue!
BC is allowing BC produced oil to be loaded on their shores while blocking Alberta. This is criminal! And with Canada’s GDP at 2.5% now, with the pipeline exporting and the industry humming, we could be at 5.5% as a country.

Prince Rupert is one of the perfect ports in the world! A sheer cliff face drops hundreds of feet below the ships when docked. It is a preferable, not better deal than the course undertaken.

As far as breaking the Paris agreements with Oil exports I say BS! The tar sands output is much cleaner than any of the more recent stats show. I blame the industry for not giving their success more media attention.